islamist forums teach mujahideen how to manufacture and

Transcription

Islamist Forums Teach Mujahideen
How To Manufacture and Use
Explosives, Weapons, and Poisons
By D. Nagy | Inquiry & Analysis #435 | May 5, 2008
Middle East Media Research Institute
www.memri.org | www.memritv.org | www.thememriblog.org
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
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©2008 by The Middle East Media Research Institute.
Published in 2008 in the United States of America by
The Middle East Media Research Institute,
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, D.C., 20038-7837
www.memri.org
Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................4
Topics Discussed on Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad Sections......................................................5
A. Information on Mines, Bombs, and Explosives......................................................6
B. Information on Using Small Arms.........................................................................9
C. Survival Skills, Battle Tactics, and Strategy.......................................................... 12
D. Weapons of Mass Destruction............................................................................ 13
E. Poison................................................................................................................ 15
www.memriiwmp.org
Introduction
In recent years jihadist organizations have been
using the Internet for purposes of indoctrination,
propaganda, recruitment and maintaining morale
among the mujahideen. In addition, Internet forums provide venues not only for sharing views,
but for exchanging information that serves the operative needs of the mujahideen, such as guidance
in guerilla warfare techniques, and information on
manufacturing and using explosives, weapons,
and poisons.
“[The Koran says:] ‘And prepare against them what
force you can and horses harnessed for battle, to
strike terror into [the hearts of] the enemies of Allah and your enemies and others besides them,
whom you do not know (but) Allah knows them
[Koran 8:60].’
Such information is often posted in special Al-’Udda
“Therefore, we must attain Wal-I’dad (Equipment and Preparation)1 sections of
[the technological level] that
numerous jihadist forums, including Shabakat Al2
Firdaws Al-Jihadiyya (www.al-firdaws.org) , Shathe West has attained”
bakat Al-Ma’arik Al-Salafiyya (www.m3ark.com)3,
Shabakat Al-Mujahideen Al-Elektroniyya (www.
majahden.com)4, Shabakat Shumoukh Al-Islam
(www.shmo5alislam.net)5, Minbar Al-Battar AlI’lami (www.albatar.1talk.net)6, Mawqi’ Al-Muha- “Allah’s Messenger, peace and prayers be upon
jir Al-Islami (www.asia.geocities.com/mohajerlb)7,
him, interpreted the word ‘force’ in this verse to
and others8.
mean ‘shooting’... So ‘force’ refers to shooting
(arrows, catapults, guns, pistols, cannon, or rockIn addition to postings dealing with weapons and
ets of various types). Of all these weapons, we
warfare, Al-’Udda Wal-’Idad sections also include
[should] use the ones that inspire the most fear, as
messages on a wide range of other topics relevant
mentioned in the verse.
to terrorist activity, from forging documents to
techniques for withstanding interrogation. Most
In other words, if today there are advanced weapof the material is translated into Arabic from nonArabic sources It should be noted that Islamist sites ons, which cause more damage [than the weapwithout an Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad section also present ons of the Prophet’s day], we [must] be prepared
military information of this type, on other sections to obtain and [use] them, even if the only way to
obtain them is to learn how to make them [ourof their sites.
selves]...
The following message, posted on Al-Firdaws by
a member calling himself Al-Battar, shows the importance forum members attribute to the content
on the Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad sections: “...Looking
through several threads on this forum and on others, I discovered that the young [members] write
about various topics without knowing anything
[about them]... [So] it is your sacred duty to convey [information about] them to our brothers the
mujahideen...
4
“Therefore, we must attain [the technological level] that the West has attained, and not [by starting
from the point] where the West began [i.e. from
a pre-technological level] – ...because that would
be a waste of time, money, and effort... Let no
one say that [the West] has many abilities that we
lack... [Only] the lazy and the weak [among us] expect the resources to be handed to them on a silver platter...”9
Islamist Forums Teach Mujahideen How To Manufacture and Use of Explosives, Weapons, and Poisons
The Topics Discussed on Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad Sections A review of 50 messages on the Al-’Udda WalI’dad section of the Shabakat Al-Mujahideen
Al-Elektroniyya forum (www.majahden.com)
indicated that 17 postings (34%) dealt with the
manufacture of rockets, bombs, mines, and mortars; five postings (10%) contained instructions for
usage were viewed 397 times (7%); and postings
on strategy, tactics, and survival were viewed 334
times (6%). A single posting dealing with WMDs
was viewed 56 times (1%). The remaining messages, dealing with a wide range of topics and
containing links to online weapons encyclopedias,
were viewed 1,125 times (20%).
Contained instructions for using small arms such as assault rifles, sniper guns, and handguns
Virtual meeting place where
the jihad fighters exchange
information and obtain advice
that is relevant to their ongoing terrorist activities
using small arms such as assault rifles, sniper guns,
and handguns; and three postings (6%) dealt with
survival skills and with battle tactics and strategy.
The remaining 25 messages (50%) contained links
to online encyclopedias of weapons and warfare,
and addressed a wide range of subjects, from poisons to secure communication techniques and information on the armies of Western countries.
Postings dealt with the manufacture of rockets,
bombs, mines, and mortars
A crucial point is that the Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad sections are not merely archives of content on military topics, but are used as a virtual meeting place
where the jihad fighters exchange information
and obtain advice that is relevant to their ongoing
terrorist activities.
Following are excerpts from discussions on Al’Udda Wal-I’dad sections, organized by topic.
From the Baghdad Sniper video
To gauge the popularity of the various topics
among the forum users, we monitored 50 postings on the Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad section of the Shabakat Al-Firdaws Al-Jihadiyya forum. We found
that messages concerned with the construction of
homemade rockets, bombs, mines, and mortars,
and with the use of such weapons manufactured
in the West, were viewed 3,750 times (66% of
the viewings); postings dealing with small arms
5
A. Information on Mines, Bombs and Explosives: Due to the difficulty of obtaining and transporting standard explosives, especially in the West,
the forums deal extensively with the manufacture
of homemade bombs. For example, in early February 2008, members of the Islamist Al-Ma’arik
forum held a week-long discussion on manufacturing homemade explosives. The thread started
with a posting by a member named Mahmoud
Al-Na’imi, who asked another member, Abu Ahmad Al-Anbari, about making liquid explosives.
Following are excerpts from the thread:10
Mahmoud Al-Na’imi: “My dear brother, first I
prepared the urea nitrate..., washed it with ice
water, distilled it, and dried it in the sun. I also
prepared a detonator using acetone peroxide.
I [used] a small container, about the size of a
tomato-paste can. I detonated it next to a tree
trunk using a length of wire, and part of the tree
trunk was blown away.”
Abu Hamdan Al-Salafi: “Brother, if you want to
use urea nitrate in a bombing, [know that] it will
take 10 kilos and [even] more to destroy a HumMahmoud Al-Na’imi: “I prepared the ni- mer... Our brothers in Palestine used 50 kilos of
tronaphthalene as described in ‘Abdullah Dhou urea nitrate to destroy a Zionist Merkava [tank]...
Al-Bajadin’s encyclopedia [of weapons]... I added And don’t forget... the mujahid Ramzi Yousef...
the sulfuric [acid] and nitric [acid]... I placed [the [who is now] in prison... used between 600 kilos
mixture] in an ice bath to prevent the tempera- and one ton of urea nitrate to blow up the baseture from rising, and kept it at under 30 degrees. ment of the World Trade Center...”
Then I waited three hours to add the rest of the
naphthalene, and this is what happened: One or Another discussion on manufacturing homemade
two hours later, the chemical reaction began to bombs took place on the Ma’arik forum in Janumake noise... After two hours the noise became ary 2008.11 The thread began with a posting by
louder... and after three hours [the mixture] began Abu Sayyaf Al-Ansari describing how to make an
to seethe in an alarming way, so I immediately explosive charge using readily available materipoured water on it and the experiment failed... I als:
would like you to tell me what went wrong...”
Abu Sayyaf Al-Ansari: “Here you will learn
Abu Ahmad Al-Anbari: “...Dear brother, about how to make a destructive Afghan [explosive]
the nitronaphthalene, you must let the [chemical] charge...
reaction take place... In your mixture the reac- “Name of the charge or mine: ‘Afghan Charge’
tion was too strong because the heat caused it “Explosive power: [The charge is capable of
to pass this stage... Try to place it in the ice bath blowing up]
for longer than three hours...”
“1. Two Russian tanks
“2. A convoy of military jeeps
Mahmoud Al-Na’imi: “My dear brother Abu “3. Very powerful against infantry troops for
Ahmad, the experiment with the urea nitrate
it [blows them up] into body parts.
went well. There was a very loud explosion. I “Necessary chemicals and equipment:
videotaped it... I will keep you posted on the ni- “1. A container [to hold the explosives]. We
tronaphthalene...”
will use a pressure cooker.
“2. The explosive mixture itself… is a mixture
of liquids consisting of:
Hamdan Al-Salafi: “Brother Mahmoud, tell us
how you did the experiment with the urea ni- “A. One part used motor oil from a car (the
oil must be used).
trate...”
6
“B. Two parts gasoline (from the gas station).
“3. A detonator or fuse...
“Method of preparation:
“1. Open the pressure cooker and fill it a third
of the way with used motor oil.
“2. Fill the rest of the cooker with gasoline.
“3. Before closing the cooker, make a hole in
the lid the size of the detonator or fuse.
“4. Install the detonator or fuse in the hole...
“5. Put the lid on the cooker...
“6. Connect the detonator using an electric
wire or a mobile phone...
“7. It is best to paint the device in military
colors or black...”
Al-Muhajir: “Here is a simpler way to prepare a
charge... using materials available at home... [such
as] soap, small bits of metal like nails, screws,
etc., gasoline, an empty 15-litre paint can... and
a detonator...
“First, melt the soap... The more you have the
better. When the soap is soft, mix it with the
gasoline... Then add the detonator...”
Abu Zainab: “...Brother Al-Muhajir... please... [I
would like] some explanations. First, can I use
any kind of soap, for instance facial soap or laundry soap? And please tell me how much [I need]
– how many bars or how many kilos. Second,
what do you mean by ‘place the detonator in the
center’...? Can you please give a detailed explanation how to make a detonator that is set off by
Preparation of Homemade Explosives in the Field12
7
a mobile phone?...”
Abu Mus’ab Al-Masri: “Brother, the problem
with this detonator is that we do not know how
to make it.”
Abu Zainab: “...Is it possible to make a detonator without using mercury? Because this chemical
is very hard to get hold of...”
“Can you please give a detailed explanation how to
make a detonator that is set
off by a mobile phone?...”
Abu Ahmad Al-Anbari: “...About the mercury,
you can find some in any thermometer... or blood
pressure [monitor]...”
In May 2005, members of the Ma’arik forum
discussed the manufacture of acetone peroxide
bombs.14 On May 25, a member named ‘Akasha
Al-Yamani posted a message explaining how to
make such a bomb. The next day, a forum member asked: “Brother, if we use hydrogen peroxide
[at a concentration of] 9%, [along with] commercial acetone, distilled water, and citrate or lemon
juice, will the experiment still work? And another
question: How do I store the detonators?”
‘Akasha Al-Yamani promptly replied: “I prepared
[acetone peroxide] at a concentration of 9%, and
it worked. As for the detonators, if you know
something about chemicals, then – Allah willing
– storage should be easy for you. First of all, acetone peroxide is very volatile, so do not keep it
in storage for more than three months. The other
[chemicals] should be kept in boxes filled with sawdust. Do not expose them to sunlight, and check
Abu Hamdan Al-Salafi: “Brother, you can make on them from time to time.” Other members then
[a detonator] without mercury, [using] a chemical joined the discussion, asking where to obtain the
called acetone peroxide...”
materials and how to store them.15
Preparation of Homemade Explosives13
8
B. Information on Using Small Arms
Among the materials posted on the Al-’Udda WalI’dad sections are manuals for the use of small
arms such as assault rifles, sniper guns, and handguns, most of them translated from non-Arabic
sources.
On October 28, 2007, for example, a member on
the Al-Firdaws forum posted a link to an Arabic
translation of The Ultimate Sniper, a comprehensive guide for snipers by American writer Maj.
John L. Plaster, USAR (ret)16.
A November 21, 2007 posting on the Shabakat
Al-Mujahideen Al-Elektroniyya forum included a
link to an Arabic translation of a manual for using
the Beretta 92 semi-automatic pistol.17
Since the small arms used by the mujahideen
are generally standard, these weapons – unlike
bombs and explosives – are not usually the subject of extensive discussions among forum members.18
9
10 Islamist Forums Teach Mujahideen How To Manufacture and Use of Explosives, Weapons, and Poisons
11
C. Survival Skills, Battle Tactics, and Strategy Postings on Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad sections also deal
with survival skills and with tactics of combat in
enemy territory, including such topics as navigating with a watch,19 escaping from handcuffs,20
setting ambushes,21 abductions,22 attacking strategic targets,23 withstanding interrogation,24 and
forging documents.
When Al-Assad Al-Shami asked for additional
details, Abu ‘Abd Al-Halim replied: “Remove the
plastic coating from the photo [using] a steam
iron, and then remove the photo [using] the razor... and the rest is easy.”
A few hours later, a forum member called Khaled
bin Al-Walid asked for a more detailed explanaFor example, in a July 2, 2006 posting, a member tion. Abu Abd Al-Halim wrote: “To remove the
named Al-Assad Al-Shami asked for information photo, put a piece of cloth over the plastic coatabout forging a passport.25 The next day, a mem- ing and then run the iron over it... Is that clear?
ber named Abu ‘Abd Al-Halim replied:”[To forge Tomorrow I will give you the rest [of the instruca passport] you need a razor, an iron, a [set of] tions], Allah willing.” Later on, Abu Abd Al-Halim
plastic letters sold by printers, and a special ruler asked Al-Assad Al-Shami what sort of passport he
used by printers, which can be purchased at an needed, and offered to help him with the projoffice equipment store.”
ect.26
From the Baghdad Sniper video
D. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Weapons of mass destruction are not frequently
discussed on Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad sections. For example, out of 148 messages posted on this section of the Ma’arik forum between August 2007
and March 2008, only two dealt with WMDs.
Though forum members tend to be skeptical
about manufacturing and/or using WMDs, some
do express a keen interest in this subject. Interestingly, messages that discuss this topic generally suggest making these weapons rather than
obtaining them in other ways (e.g., by stealing
them).
The following discussion, for example, took place
in February 2008 on Ma’arik. Forum member Abu
Ahmad Al-Anbari posted a message proposing
ways to manufacture anthrax.27 Two hours later,
a member called Bin Laden Gaza replied: ”With
[all due] respect to the brothers, I do not recommend that you try [to prepare anthrax], because
it is dangerous... There are many other ways to
wage jihad...”
Abu Ahmad Al-Anbari responded: “...We need
every [possible] means of terrorizing the enemy,
especially [since] bacterial [weapons] are so rare.
If we say ‘this is difficult’ and ‘that is dangerous,’
we will never make any progress...”
A member named “Sniper” remarked: “I [agree]
with what brother ‘bin Laden’ wrote. We do not
want a double tragedy – the tragedy of the occupation plus the tragedy of [our own] mistakes
that can end up killing us... If there is no choice
but to prepare and use [anthrax], then let experienced and knowledgeable [experts] handle it...”
Another discussion on WMDs was launched on
December 27, 2007 by a member called Abu Hafs
Al-Masri, who raised the possibility of building a
nuclear weapon. In a message titled “The Muslim
Nuclear Bomb,” he outlined the history of the nuclear bomb and the method of its construction.28
Two days later, a member named Abu Mus’ab AlMasri remarked: “This business [of making nucle-
From Abu Hafs Al-Masri’s posting.31
13
ar bombs] is too big for us,” to which Abu Mus’ab
Al-Masri replied: “Nothing is too difficult for the
Muslims...” Abu Mus’ab Al-Masri insisted: “But my
dear brother, it requires huge amounts of unavailable materials.” A member called Qalb Osama
agreed with Abu Hafs Al-Masri, saying: “...Those
who blew up towers in the heart of the U.S... and
who have humiliated the U.S. in Afghanistan and
Iraq, are capable of doing more...”29
“If there is no choice but to
prepare and use [anthrax],
then let experienced and
knowledgeable [experts] handle it...”
Image attached to Abu Ahmad Al-Anbari’s posting30
E. Poison
Lastly, the Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad sections also contain information on preparing various poisons
from readily available materials. For example, on
January 5, 2008, a member on the Al-Firdaws forum suggested to mixing cyanide into face cream
and then trying the mixture on a rabbit.32 Another member asked whether any type of cream
would be suitable, and a third supplied detailed
instructions:
bit’s blood pressure is similar to that of a human
being... Using scissors, shave some of the rabbit’s
fur to expose its skin, and then apply some of
the cyanide cream you prepared. Wait 3-5 seconds. If [the rabbit] does not die, your poison is
not [strong] enough, since it does not act rapidly
enough. Gradually add poison to the mixture until
you obtain the desired effect. Make sure to get
two or three rabbits, and do not consider [using]
a different animal, since, as I already said, rabbits
have a blood pressure similar to that of humans.
“...Go to stores that sell poison and ask for cyanide. It is very cheap. Then go to the supermarket
and look for moisturizing cream. Make sure it’s “3. How to expose one of Allah’s enemies to the
the kind of cream that opens up the pores of the poison:
skin quickly and efficiently. When you have both
“Place the poison in a small bottle and lie in wait
[ingredients], do the following:
for a vehicle [driven by] enemies of Allah, preferably by Americans. Put some poison on the vehicle
“1. Take a small spoonful of cyanide.
door, and especially... on the handle. Don’t do this
“2. Take some cream and mix it with the cyanide. casually, but in a professional manner, [using] cotton wool and protecting your hands with gloves...
“Be careful! Cyanide is very strong and acts very Put poison on the inside and outside [of the door
quickly... [At that point] you might ask yourself: handle], so that as much poison as possible gets
‘Can these two components [i.e. the cream and on the fingers of the enemy of Allah.”33
the cyanide] kill a man?’ I tell you, brother, [in order to find out] you need a rabbit, because a rab- ≠
From an encyclopedia of poisons posted on the forum Mawqi’ Al-Muhajir Al-Islami.34
15
NOTES:
The expression al-’udda wal-i’dad comes from the Koranic verse
“And if they had intended to go forth [into battle], they would
certainly have prepared equipment for it... [Koran 9:46].” According to Muslim tradition, the verse refers to certain apostates who
asked the Prophet Muhammad to be excused from taking part in
the Battle of Tabouk (AD 630). It is taken to mean that those who
truly intend to fight for Allah can be recognized by the fact that
they make the necessary preparations (‘udda) for the battle.
http://www.m3ark.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3231
http://www.m3ark.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4238
1
2
ISP: Piradius Net, Malaysia
3
4
5
ISP: Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Malaysia
6
ISP: SoftLayer Technologies Inc., Dallas, TX
7
ISP: DCLUXNET, Luxembourg
www.zarqawy.00bp.com/vb (inactive), www.almqdes.net, (ISP:
SoftLayer Technologies Inc., Dallas, TX) http://albtar.1talk.net
(ISP: SoftLayer Technologies Inc., Dallas, TX), http://mojahidmouslim.blogspot.com (ISP: Google Inc. Mountainview, CA), http://
www.palintefada.com,(ISP: HostDime.com, Inc., Orlando, FL),
http://al-ommh.net/vb/ (inactive)
8
9
http://www.al-firdaws.org/vb/showthread.php?t=25150.
10
http://www.m3ark.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4128.
The image is taken from a video titled “Ushaq Al-Hour,” which
was posted on Islamist websites.
11
12
http://shmo5alislam.net/vb/showthread.php?t=3717&highlight
=%C8%CF%E1+%C7%E1%C8%E6%D5%E1%C9
19
20
http://shmo5alislam.net/vb/showthread.php?t=2495
=%C7%E1%DF%E3%C7%C6%E4+%C7%E1%DE%C7%D5%E3
%C9+%DD%ED+%D4%E6%C7%D1%DA+%C7%E1%DA%C7%
D5%E3%C9
21
http://www.ek-ls.org/forum/showthread.php?t=133475&high
light=%D4%C7%E3%E1+%C7%E1%C8%DB%CF%C7%CF%ED
(the posting deals with the abduction of tourists and army officers, and contains some information on sniper attacks).
22
23
See, for example a discussion on attacking military installations
and embassies: http://www.ek-ls.org/forum/showthread.php?
t=134049&highlight=%D4%C7%E3%E1+%C7%E1%C8%DB%C
F%C7%CF%ED
=%D3%D1%C7%ED%C7+%C7%E1%DE%CF%D3
24
25
http://210.193.49.35/vb/showthread.php?t=14286&highlight=
%C7%D2%E6%D1.
26
Additional threads dealing with survival, tactics and strategy:
http://www.al-firdaws.org/vb/showthread.php?t=4608
27
http://alekhlaas.info/forum/showthread.php?t=122252.
13
28
14
http://www.alfirdaws.org/vb/showthread.php?t=2344.
Additional threads on WMDs:
29
Additional threads dealing with explosives, bombs, mines, rockets and missiles:
15
16
30
31
ht tp: // w w w.al-firdaws.net / vb/show thread.
php?t=32838&page=2
32
http://www.alfirdaws.org/vb/showthread.php?t=30596.
Additional threads on poisons:
33
17
http://asia.geocities.com/almohajerarkan/a3dad.html.
18
Additional postings linking to small arms manuals:
http://majahden.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5734
34
http://asia.share.geocities.com/mohajerlb4/2.zip.
MEMRI’s Islamist Websites Monitor Project is the largest open
archive of translated material from Islamist websites
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islamist forums teach mujahideen how to manufacture and

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